Alzheimer’s public policy on Friday

The Alzheimer’s Associationwill hold a town hall meeting on Friday, Aug. 15, from 6 to 8 p.m., at St. Joseph Parish (732 18th Ave. E.) to solicit feedback on public policy priorities.

These include the National Alzheimer’s Plan, an Alzheimer’s Disease Plan for Washington State, and Voices for Better Health in Washington State, a new initiative to improve health care for “dual eligible,” older and disabled Washingtonians who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.

The town hall will include a panel reflecting the Alzheimer’s experience. All public input will be recorded and used to inform the Association’s work in advancing public policy priorities.

Alzheimer’s disease is the third-leading cause of death in Washington state and sixth nationally. More than 5 million Americans, including 100,000 Washingtonians, are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and as many as 16 million Americans will have the disease in 2050. The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is estimated to total $214 billion in 2014, increasing to $1.2 trillion (in today’s dollars) by mid-century.

Nearly one in three seniors who dies each year has Alzheimer’s or another dementia.